Consider the big questions in life.
Do any of these resonate with you?
- "Why do I feel out of alignment? I feel like something important is missing for me."
- "Who am I? In the truest and deepest sense?"
- "What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of my life?"
- “How can I nurture the connection I feel in nature or in peak experiences where I feel “at one” with what I’m doing?”
- "What do I have to give to the world?"
- "What skills for living can help me cope with the inevitable pain, loss and difficulty that beset us all at some time?"
These are deep questions. Spiritual directors and spiritual companions go to work every day – listening, asking questions, offering compassion – to help people find their own answers. Workable answers. Answers that are both personal and practical. That build inner strength and equanimity.
A spiritual director/companion honors your birthright to discern your own spiritual path.
Spiritual directors and companions serve all society by helping each person find balance and compassion.
For more: Read this post on “What Makes a Good Spiritual Director” by Executive Director Rev. Seifu Anil Singh-Molares.
Spiritual direction or companionship is often offered as a one-to-one or group experience in private sessions with spiritual mentors who have most likely completed extensive formation for this practice and service.
It is up to you to choose a spiritual director or companion who has the training, formation and experience that suits your needs.
A spiritual director or companion includes and relies on your own understanding of Spirit: To God, to Allah, to refuge in the Buddha, to the Universe, to Nature, or however you name the ground of all being. Spiritual direction and companionship includes this connection as a third partner in the process.
And if you don’t know or have a sense of that connection, a spiritual director or companion can help you discern that, without coercion and with deep respect for your own ability to discover and articulate the ways in which you naturally connect.
While it may be appropriate at times to discuss personal and relational struggles in the context of spiritual direction/ companionship, a spiritual director/companion is not a psychotherapist, nor does the spiritual director/companion provide such services.
We recommend you engage with our resource, Guidelines for Ethical Conduct, before entering a new relationship with a spiritual director or spiritual companion.
What is Spiritual Direction?
Listen to Executive Director Rev. SeiFu Singh-Molares on "The One You Feed" Podcast
In this episode, Rev. SeiFu and Eric Zimmer talk about the role of a Spiritual Director or Spiritual Companion in helping us find our way on our own spiritual path.
Comparison of Helping Relationships:
Nurturing Mental and Spiritual Health and Wellbeing
Though it can look similar, it is very important to note the differences between spiritual companionship and mental health support. With a wide variety of helping relationships available, the chart below can help you to compare which companionship modality is right for you.
Find a Spiritual Director or Spiritual Companion
Locating and interviewing a spiritual director or companion is an important step in your spiritual journey. SDI’s desire is to provide an easy, inviting way for seekers to connect with a spiritual director or companion, to find a training program and/or a retreat center. We also help existing spiritual directors and companions find supervisors and additional training resources.
Deeper
Deep Listening Practices
Who is a Spiritual Director or Spiritual Companion?
Ascending the Mountain
Hallmarks of a Spiritual Director or Spiritual Companion
